


Heatwave

by melagan



Series: Fifty Kisses [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Canon Universe, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Trope Bingo Round 16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 16:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30142377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melagan/pseuds/melagan
Summary: The city's air cooling system is on the fritz in the middle of a heatwave. Rodney's trying to fix it. John offers an incentive.
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: Fifty Kisses [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182356
Comments: 22
Kudos: 37





	Heatwave

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my trope bingo square: From the headlines

*

"Has McKay said how much longer before it's fixed, sir?" Lorne looked the way they all felt. Sticky, hot, and soaked with sweat. He still wore his service uniform when almost everyone else had stripped down to cut-offs and tank tops. John had to give him credit for holding on to his professionalism as well as he had. Unnecessary under the circumstances but admirable. 

"Major, you’re making me hot just to look at you. Get into something more comfortable and that's an order, " John said, wishing he could do the same. As he wiped the dripping sweat from his forehead, he added, "And, put anyone available on getting enough doors open to get a decent cross breeze through here." 

"I was thinking of that, sir. People have been asking if they can set up sleeping quarters outside on the pier."

John pulled his sticky t-shirt away from his chest and nodded his agreement. They were in the midst of a summer heatwave with no end in sight, and after two days with no air conditioning, the city was stifling. 

"I don't think we can assume this is going to be fixed anytime soon. I'll radio you an update after I talk to Rodney." Briefly, John wondered if he could peel out of his t-shirt like some of the off-duty personal. Probably not a good idea. He'd tried that yesterday and it had nearly caused Rodney to drop his laptop. Way to make a guy feel freakish.

The red-faced, stammering apology for almost dropping it on John's foot had made him feel better about it though. 

If John thought the corridors of Atlantis were warm, the maintenance lab was even worse. The lab sat below the waterline so there weren't any windows they could open. Call it an exercise in futility, but someone had set up a crappy looking fan with a bowl of melting ice in front of it. 

Rodney had his entire torso stuck under a console and was disturbing quiet. No swearing, no complaining, no berating the staff which John had come to think of as background noise. 

He leaned down and drawled "How much longer, McKay?" 

"Wha?! Rodney's head popped out and he glared back. "As long as it takes, Sheppard," he growled. "The more you interrupt me with inane questions the longer it's going to be."

Inordinately pleased that he'd gotten a rise out of Rodney, John began to feel a lot better. 

He'd developed his own Bitching/Oh Shit scale since meeting Rodney McKay. As long as there was a measure of complaints things were okay. Things edged toward the red line when Rodney grew quiet. A complete absence of vitriol meant a full-blown crisis on the horizon. He'd take bitching any day of the week. 

"But you're getting it fixed soon, right?" John asked. Yep, it was like poking a bear. He almost felt sorry. Rodney looked as wrung out as a wet dishrag. 

"I hope. We're working with 10,000-year-old equipment and…." he paused to wipe his face leaving an inch-wide streak of grease behind. "But you know all that."

John handed him a bottle of water. "Drink up. Melted is not a good look on you."

"It's cold. How did you…?"

"I stuck a few bottles in the freezer yesterday. Figured they'd come in handy."

Rodney pressed it to his forehead and nearly whimpered in relief. "You realize even if we get the air circulation fixed today, which is doubtful, it's going to take hours to cool Atlantis down."

"Which is why," John pointed out, "I have Lorne setting up sleeping accommodations outside so we can take advantage of the cooler night breeze. I put Ronon and a few of the Marines are on cookout brigade and—"

"And what? What have you done now, and am I going to hate it?" 

As much as John wanted to throw his arm over Rodney's shoulder and gloat, it was too damn hot. "Two words. Ice cream." 

Rodney's eyes brightened just like John knew they would. "It's supposed to be a surprise, but I just happened to know the cooks have been working on it all day."

"Oh my god, I could kiss you!" Rodney blurted. He slapped his hand over his mouth and stared back at John in wide-eyed shock. "I—I didn't—um. 

"Get those air conditioners working and I might just let you," John said, waggling his eyebrows for good measure. 

"Really?" Rodney looked pole-axed. 

"Get us some cool air and find out," John teased. He was about to walk away, but it was hot and miserable, and Rodney had been working under even worse conditions than he had for two days. 

And, Rodney hadn't thought John looked freakish without a shirt. Rodney had thought he looked hot. The other kind of hot. The kind where he had a chance.

John gave Rodney a quick peck on the cheek before he could think better of it. 

Rodney touched his cheek staring at John in a daze. "You….?"

John shrugged. "Work incentive?"

Rodney narrowed his eyes. "So, this is some kind of encouragement to work harder?"

"Sure. We can call it that." John resisted the urge to scuff his toe like a little kid. "Or we can call it a preview for after the job's done."

"Zelenka!" Rodney yelled, never taking his eyes off John. "Pull all the spare crystals out of storage and have the engineering team replace every single one of the air cycling circuits, I don't care if it takes all night, no one rests until this is done!" 

Eyes bright glee, Rodney motioned for John to move aside. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Sheppard, I've got work to do."

**Author's Note:**

> Kiss as encouagement.


End file.
